Patent application title: FIRE RESISTIVE JOINT COVER SYSTEM

Abstract:

A fire resistive joint cover system operable to span a gap between two
surfaces. The system generally may include first and second base members,
a covering member, and an intumescent sheet. Each base member is operable
to couple with one of the surfaces and the covering member is operable to
couple with the base members to at least partially span the gap. In some
embodiments, the covering member may be configured as a floating covering
member and/or as a flexible elastomer seal.

Claims:

1. A joint cover system operable to span a gap between two surfaces, the
system comprising:a first base member operable to couple with one of the
surfaces;a second base member operable to couple with the other surface;a
covering member operable to couple with the base members to at least
partially span the gap;an intumescent sheet; anda support structure
coupled with the intumescent sheet and having opposed flanges operable to
couple with the surfaces, the support structure being larger in at least
one dimension than the intumescent sheet.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the support structure includes a foil
sheet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the support structure includes a
high-temperature fabric.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the intumescent sheet is attached to the
support structure with a fastener.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the intumescent sheet is not positioned
on the flanges.

6. The system of claim 1, further including a second intumescent sheet and
a second support structure coupled with the second intumescent sheet, the
second support structure having opposed flanges operable to couple with
the surfaces and being larger in at least one dimension than the second
intumescent sheet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the covering member is a floating
covering member.

8. The system of claim 1, further including an anchor operable to
penetrate the first base member and one of the flanges to couple the
first base member and the support structure to one of the surfaces.

9. A joint cover system operable to span a gap between two surfaces, the
system comprising:a covering member operable to at least partially span
the gap and couple to both surfaces, wherein the covering member couples
to at least one surface directly;an intumescent sheet coupled to both
surfaces with a part of the intumescent sheet sandwiched between at least
a portion of the covering member and one of the surfaces; anda center
strip operable to couple the intumescent sheet to other surface.

10. The joint cover system of claim 9, wherein the support structure
includes a foil sheet.

11. The joint cover system of claim 9, wherein the support structure
includes a high-temperature fabric.

12. The joint cover system of claim 9, wherein the intumescent sheet is
attached to the support structure with a fastener.

13. The joint cover system of claim 9, further including a second
intumescent sheet and a second support structure coupled with the second
intumescent sheet, the second support structure having at least one
flange operable to couple with at least one of the surfaces and being
larger in at least one dimension than the second intumescent sheet.

[0003]Embodiments of the present invention relate to fire resistive joint
cover systems. More particularly, various embodiments of the invention
provide a fire resistive joint cover system including at least one
fire-resistive sheet.

[0004]2. Description of the Related Art

[0005]It is often desirable to position fire resistive materials such as
intumescent sheets within joints formed between roof, wall, floor, and
ceiling members. Unfortunately, prior art fire resistive joint cover
systems often fail to adequately provide for joint movement or properly
position fire resistive materials within joints.

SUMMARY

[0006]Embodiments of the present invention solve the above-described
problems and provide a distinct advance in the art of fire resistive
joint cover systems. More particularly, various embodiments of the
invention provide a fire resistive joint cover system including at least
one fire-resistive sheet that adequately provides for joint movement.

[0007]For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide a
joint cover system operable to span a gap between two surfaces. The
system generally includes first and second base members, a covering
member, and an intumescent sheet. Each base member is operable to couple
with one of the surfaces and the covering member is operable to couple
with the base members to at least partially span the gap. In some
embodiments, the covering member may be configured as a floating covering
member and/or as a flexible elastomer seal.

[0008]The intumescent sheet may attach to the surfaces and/or the base
members. In some embodiments, the intumescent sheet may be coupled with a
support structure that is operable to couple with the surfaces and/or
base members. The support structure may have opposed flanges operable to
couple with the surfaces and/or base members and be larger in at least
one dimension than the intumescent sheet.

[0009]Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0010]Various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail
below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a joint cover system configured in
accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of intumescent sheets and support
structures operable to be utilized by the system of FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of various other intumescent sheets and
support structures operable to be utilized by the system of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a center strip operable to couple
with the intumescent sheets and support structures of FIG. 3;

[0015]FIG. 5 is a side view of a joint cover system configured in
accordance with various other embodiments of the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 6 is a side view of a joint cover system configured in
accordance with various other embodiments of the present invention;

[0017]FIG. 7 is a side view of a joint cover system configured in
accordance with various other embodiments of the present invention;

[0018]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an intumescent sheet operable to be
employed by various embodiments of the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another intumescent sheet operable
to be employed by various embodiments of the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 10 is a side view of a joint cover system configured in
accordance with various other embodiments of the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 11 is a side view showing an intumescent sheet coupled with two
surfaces;

[0022]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of various intumescent sheets operable
to be employed by various embodiments of the present invention;

[0023]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another intumescent sheet operable
to be employed by various embodiments of the present invention;

[0024]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another intumescent sheet operable
to be employed by various embodiments of the present invention; and

[0025]FIG. 15 is a side view of a joint cover system configured in
accordance with various other embodiments of the present invention.

[0026]The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the
specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not
necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly
illustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027]The following detailed description of various embodiments of the
invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific
embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are
intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to
enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other
embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing
from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed
description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope
of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along
with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0028]Referring to FIGS. 1-14, embodiments of the present invention
provide a fire resistive joint cover system 10 operable to span a gap A
between two surfaces B, C. The system 10 may be employed to span gaps
between surfaces including roof, wall, floor, and ceiling members or any
other gaps, joints, or spaces formed between building and construction
elements. Each surface B, C may include a plurality of sides, such as
top, right, left, and bottom sides.

[0029]The system 10 broadly includes a first base member 12 operable to
couple with one of the surfaces B or C, a second base member 14 operable
to couple with the other surface B or C, a covering member 16 operable to
couple with the base members 12, 14 to span the gap A, and a
fire-resistive sheet such as an intumescent sheet 18. However, in some
embodiments, the system 10 may lack the base members 12, 14 such that the
covering member 16 may be configured to directly couple with one of the
surfaces B, C.

[0030]Each base member 12, 14 may couple with any portion of one of the
surfaces B, C. For example, the base members 12, 14 may couple with the
top of surfaces B, C such as when the system 10 is employed to span roof
or floor members. One of the base members 12 may couple with the top of
one of the surfaces B, C and the other base member 14 may couple with the
side of one of the surfaces B, C, such as where the system 10 is employed
to span gaps between or along walls. Similarly, both of the base members
12, 14 may couple with the bottom of the surfaces B, C such as where the
system 10 is employed to span a joint formed in a ceiling.

[0031]Further, the base members 12, 14 may be configured to elevate above
the surfaces B, C to enable the covering member 16 to be positioned
substantially above the gap A formed between the two surfaces B, C, as is
shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. The base members 12, 14 may also be configured to
lie generally flat against the surfaces B, C, as is shown in FIG. 6.

[0032]The base members 12, 14 may present any configuration operable to
couple with the covering member 16 and at least one of the surfaces B, C.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the first base member 12 may
include a first anchoring flange 20 and the second base member 14 may
include a second anchoring flange 22, with the first anchoring flange 20
being operable to couple with one of the surfaces B or C and the second
anchoring flange 22 being operable to couple with the other surface B or
C. The anchoring flanges 20, 22 may each present a generally flat surface
to abut the surfaces B, C, as is shown in FIG. 5.

[0033]As illustrated in FIG. 5, the first base member 12 may also include
a first mating portion 24 and the second base member 14 may also include
a second mating portion 26. The mating portions 24, 26 are operable to
mate and/or otherwise couple with the covering member 16 to secure the
covering member 16 over and/or across the gap A. In some embodiments, as
shown in FIG. 5, each mating portion 24, 26 may include a socket 28, 30,
respectively, to receive a portion of the covering member 16. The sockets
28, 30 may be ball sockets to facilitate movement of the covering member
16 due to expansion and contraction of the surfaces B, C. However, the
sockets 28, 30 may present any mating configuration operable to retain at
least a portion of the covering member 16.

[0034]In some embodiments, the base members 12, 14 may each comprise a
plurality of components. In one such embodiment, the base members 12, 14
each include a lower component for coupling with one of the surfaces B,
C. The covering member 16 may rest atop the lower components to at least
partially span the gap A. Each base member 12, 14 may additionally
include an upper component operable to attach to the corresponding lower
component. The upper and lower components of the base members 12, 14, may
thus form receivers for the covering member 16. The upper and lower
components may be discrete from each other such that the base members 12,
14 are not necessarily integrally formed.

[0035]In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6-7, each mating portion 24,
26 may present one or more grooves 32, 34, respectively, to receive a
portion of the covering member 16. As is discussed in more detail below,
the grooves 32, 34 enable the base members 12, 14 and covering member 16
to be friction fitted to generally seal the covering member 16 to the
base members 12, 14. However, the grooves 32, 34 may be configured to
secure the covering member 16 to the base members 12, 14 without forming
a seal therebetween.

[0036]In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, each mating portion 24, 26
may present one or more slots 36, 38, respectively, to receive a portion
of the covering member 16. As is discussed in more detail below, the
slots 36, 38 enable the covering member 16 to be easily coupled with the
base members 12, 14 to span the gap A between the surfaces B, C. The
slots 36, 38 are preferably configured to enable the covering member 16
to be substantially received within each base member 12, 14 to prevent
the covering member 16 from inadvertently decoupling therefrom. The slots
36, 38 may each include guides, stops, or other elements to facilitate
reception and retention of the covering member 16.

[0037]The mating portions 24, 26 may additionally or alternatively include
any conventional mating elements to mate with the covering member 16.
Thus, the mating portions 24, 26 may include male and female connectors,
removable and permanent fasteners, adhesive elements, magnetic elements,
combinations thereof, and the like. Further, the mating portions 24, 26
are not necessarily similarly configured. For example, in some
embodiments the first mating portion 24 may include the socket 28 while
the second mating portion 26 may include a different mating element, such
as the groove 34, the slot 38, combinations thereof, and the like. Such
configurations may be desirable in embodiments where one of the base
members 12, 14 is coupled to the top of one of the surfaces B or C and
the other base member 12, 14 is coupled to the sides or bottom of the
other surface B or C.

[0038]The base members 12, 14 are preferably comprised of a substantially
rigid material such as metals, metal alloys, plastics, and the like, to
facilitate support of the covering member 16 and other system 10
elements. In some embodiments, the base members 12, 14 are preferably
comprised of extruded aluminum.

[0039]The system 10 may additionally include one or more anchors 40 to
facilitate coupling of the base members 12, 14 and the surfaces B, C. In
some embodiments, the anchors 40 are operable to couple both the base
members 12, 14 and the intumescent sheet 18 with the surfaces B, C. The
anchors 40 may comprise anchoring elements such as nails, staples,
screws, rivets, bolts, pins, and/or any other fastening and anchoring
elements. Preferably, the anchors 40 include a sharp tip to enable
puncturing of the base members 12, 14, including the anchoring flanges
20, 22, and/or the intumescent sheet 18. However, in some embodiments the
base members 12, 14 and/or intumescent sheet 18 may include apertures
and/or perforations for receiving the anchors 40 such that the anchors 40
need not be operable for puncturing.

[0040]The covering member 16 may include any element or combination of
elements operable to at least partially span the gap A between the
surfaces B, C. The covering member 16 and the base members 12, 14 may
each be formed from bronze, aluminum, steel, stainless steel, galvanized
steel, and the like to present any desired appearance. In some
embodiments, the covering member 16 presents a substantially flat profile
and mechanically couples with the base members 12, 14 utilizing fastening
elements such as nails, screws, bolts, pins, rivets, adhesives,
combinations thereof, and the like.

[0041]In various embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the covering member 16
is configured as a floating covering member to enable joint movement due
to expansion or contraction of the surfaces B, C. Thus, even if the
surfaces B, C shift relative to each other, the covering member 16 may
retain its position and remain covering the gap A between the surfaces B,
C.

[0042]In some embodiments, the covering member 16 may include a covering
plate 42. As shown in FIG. 5, the covering plate 42 may present a
generally flat profile to facilitate a uniform transition between the
surfaces B, C. The covering plate 42 may be formed from the various
metals and materials discussed above. Further, in some embodiments the
covering plate 42 may be covered with additional materials, such as
carpet, fabric, tiles, woods, combinations thereof, and the like, to
match surrounding surface coverings. The covering plate 42 may be formed
of twenty gauge galvanized steel to present a rigid and durable surface.

[0043]As shown in FIG. 10, the covering plate 42 may be configured to
couple with the base members 12, 14 through positioning within the slots
36, 38. For example, the generally-flat covering plate 42 may be slid
within the slots 36, 38 to span the gap A between the surfaces B, C. The
covering plate 42 may include protrusions at its ends to prevent the
covering plate 42 from being inadvertently detached from the base members
12, 14.

[0044]In some embodiments, the covering member 16 may include a centering
bar 44 operable to couple with the covering plate 42. The centering bar
44 is operable to couple with the covering plate 42 and the base members
12, 14 to enable the floating configuration discussed above. The
centering bar 44 is preferably an elongated bar operable to span the gap
A between the base members 12, 14 when the base members 12, 14 are
coupled to the surfaces B. C. In some embodiments, the centering bar 44
may include opposed mating balls 46 to couple with the sockets 28, 30
provided by the base members 12, 14. The mating balls 46 may be fully
spherical or partially spherical, such as where each mating ball 46
presents only a half-sphere for coupling with the base members 12, 14.

[0045]However, the centering bar 44 may additionally or alternatively
present any mating connectors for reception by the mating portions 24, 26
of the base members 12, 14, such as mating pins, tabs, screws, nails,
bolts, staples, conventional interlocking and fastening elements,
combinations thereof, and the like. In some embodiments, the centering
bar 44 may lack mating connectors.

[0046]The center of the covering plate 42 is preferably fixedly coupled to
the center of the centering bar 44 to facilitate proper orientation and
alignment of the covering plate 42. As shown in FIG. 5, the covering
plate 42 may be coupled with the centering bar 44 utilizing a fastener
such as a screw, nail, bolt, staple, pin, combinations thereof, and the
like. The covering plate 42 may additionally be coupled to the centering
bar 44 at more than one location along the length of the centering bar 44
or be directly and/or independently coupled to the base members 12, 14
without using the centering bar 44.

[0047]In various embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6-7, the covering member
16 may be configured as a generally flexible elastomer seal element 48.
The seal element 48 is generally operable to seal to the base members 12,
14 and generally withstand movement of the surfaces B, C. The seal
element 48 may comprise flexible elastomers, such as rubber, Santoprene,
EPDM, PCV, Neoprene, Hypalon, combinations thereof, and the like.
However, the seal element 48 may comprise any element or combination of
elements operable to couple with the base members 12, 14. Further, in
some embodiments the seal element 48 does not necessarily seal with the
base members 12, 14 as the seal element 48 may be configured to only
securely attach to the base members 12, 14.

[0048]In some embodiments, the seal element 48 may include a plurality of
tabs 50 operable to be friction fitted within the grooves 32, 34. Each
tab 50 may present an arrow-like configuration where each tab 50 includes
a head portion having a width greater than the width of one of the
grooves 32, 34. The head portion may be sloped such that the tab 50 may
be forced into one of the grooves 32, 34 with a limited amount of force
while removal of the tab 50 requires much greater force due to the shape
of the head portion. In some embodiments, the seal element 48 may include
a plurality of tabs 50 along its ends to facilitate coupling with the
grooves 32, 34. In other embodiments, the seal element 48 may include
only a single tab 50 for reception by one of the grooves 32, 34.
Additionally or alternatively, the seal element 48 may be sealed and/or
coupled with the base members 12, 14 utilizing adhesives such as glue.

[0049]In various embodiments, the system 10 may include other elements to
facilitate covering of the gap A. For example, the system 10 may include
springs, water and moisture barriers, foil covers, support paneling, and
centering devices in addition to the centering bar 44 discussed above.

[0050]The system 10 includes the at least one intumescent sheet 18 to
provide a fire barrier. The intumescent sheet 18 may include any
intumescent material operable to expand and/or swell when exposed to
heat. In various embodiments, the intumescent sheet 18 includes an
intumescent material extruded onto a film such as wax paper, mineral
wool, artificial fiber ribbons, polyethylene film, polypropylene film,
polyurethane film, polyester film, combinations thereof, and the like. In
some embodiments, the intumescent sheet 18 may be comprised of a
C2-C8 alkyl diamine phosphate fire retardant, as disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,085, which is incorporated herein by specific
reference.

[0051]The intumescent sheet 18 is preferably configured to substantially
extend across the gap A and couple with both base members 12, 14 and/or
surfaces B, C. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, the intumescent
sheet 18 may directly couple with the surfaces B, C utilizing various
fastening elements such as nails, screws, bolts, staples, pins, rivets,
combinations thereof, and the like. For example, the intumescent sheet 18
may be attached to each surface B, C by puncturing the intumescent sheet
18 with a nail at each end and driving the nails into the surfaces B, C.

[0052]In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, portions of the
intumescent sheet 18 may be positioned between the base members 12, 14
and the surfaces B, C to extend the intumescent 18 sheet over the gap A.
In particular, portions of the intumescent sheet 18 may be sandwiched
between the anchoring flanges 20, 22 and the surfaces B, C. In some
embodiments, the anchoring flanges 20, 22 may be penetrated by the
anchors 40 without penetrating the intumescent sheet 18. However, in
other embodiments, it may be desirable to drive the anchors 40 through
the anchoring flanges 20, 22 and intumescent sheet 18 and into the
surfaces B, C to more securely retain the intumescent sheet 18.

[0053]In various embodiments, the intumescent sheet 18 is coupled with a
support structure 52 that is operable to couple with the surfaces B, C
and/or base members 12, 14 to enable the intumescent sheet 18 to be
securely positioned without being punctured by the anchors 40. The
support structure 52 may be formed of any material operable to couple
with the intumescent sheet 18 and the base members 12, 14 and/or surfaces
B, C.

[0054]The support structure 52 is preferably formed of a material operable
to generally withstand heat such that the support structure 52 will
resist failure under heat to enable the intumescent sheet 18 to
appropriately expand and function as a fire barrier. In some embodiments,
the support structure 52 may be formed of a foil sheet, a fiberglass
scrim, and/or a high temperature fabric.

[0055]The support structure 52 is preferably larger in at least one
dimension than the intumescent sheet 18. For example, in embodiments
where the width of the support structure 52 is sufficient to span the gap
A, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, the width of the intumescent sheet 18 is
preferably less than the width of the support structure 52 such that the
intumescent sheet 18 does not cover all portions of the support structure
52.

[0056]In various embodiments, the support structure 52 includes first and
second opposed flanges 54, 56 operable to couple with the base members
12, 14 and/or surfaces B, C. The opposed flanges 54, 56 are preferably
not covered by the intumescent sheet 18 to enable the opposed flanges 54,
56 to be punctured by the anchors 40 and secured to the surfaces B, C
without affecting the integrity of the intumescent sheet 18. The opposed
flanges 54, 56 may be directly affixed to the surfaces B, C using the
anchors 40 or other fastening elements. In some embodiments, the flanges
54, 56 are configured to be placed between the anchoring flanges 20, 22
and the surfaces B, C. In such embodiments, the anchors 40 may be driven
through the anchoring flanges 20, 22 and flanges 54, 56 and into the
surfaces B, C to secure the support structure 52 and intumescent sheet 18
across the gap A without puncturing the intumescent sheet 18.

[0057]The intumescent sheet 18 may be coupled with the support structure
52 utilizing various fasteners such as nails, screws, bolts, rivets,
pins, staples adhesives, combinations thereof, and the like. Preferably,
the intumescent sheet 18 is attached to the support structure 52 such
that the intumescent sheet 18 may not shift relative to the support
structure 52. Such a configuration desirable increases the fire
protection provided by the intumescent sheet 18 and support structure 52.
In some embodiments, the intumescent sheet 18 may be fixedly attached to
the support structure 52 utilizing fasteners positioned along the
periphery of the intumescent sheet 18 in addition to or as an alternative
to fasteners positioned only along the centerline of the intumescent
sheet 18.

[0058]In various embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 10, the system 10
may include a plurality of intumescent sheets 18 with each sheet being
coupled with the base members 12, 14 and/or surfaces B, C. Utilization of
a plurality of intumescent sheets facilitates the formation of a fire
barrier. In some embodiments, each of the intumescent sheets 18 may be
positioned in the same orientation, as shown in FIG. 1, while in other
embodiments the intumescent sheets 18 may be positioned in opposite
orientations, as shown in FIG. 10. For example, in embodiments where the
system 10 spans a gap between two wall elements, a first intumescent
sheet may be orientated towards one face of the wall and a second
intumescent sheet may be orientated towards the other face of the wall.

[0059]In embodiments including the plurality of intumescent sheets 18,
each sheet 18 may be coupled with a support structure as discussed above.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, the system 10 may include two
intumescent sheets 18 each coupled with a support structure 52. In such
embodiments, the flanges 54, 56 of each support structure 52 may each be
directly affixed to the base members 12, 14 and/or surfaces B, C.
However, the flanges 54, 56 of each support structure 52 are preferably
sandwiched between the anchoring flanges 20, 22 and surfaces B, C to
enable the anchors 40 to be driven through the anchoring flanges 20, 22
and the flanges 54, 56 and into the surfaces B, C. Thus, utilization of a
plurality of support structures enables a plurality of intumescent sheets
18 to be positioned within the gap A without affecting the integrity of
the sheets 18 even when the system 10 employs anchors 40 or other
fastening elements.

[0060]In some embodiments, the system 10 may be configured without the use
of the base members 12, 14. For example, the covering member 16 may be
coupled with the surfaces B, C without the use of the base members 12,
14. In such embodiments, the one or more intumescent sheets 18 may be
directly affixed to the surfaces B, C or sandwiched between the covering
member 16 and the surfaces B, C and punctured with the anchors 40. In
some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the system 10 may include a center
strip 58 to couple intumescent sheets 18 to the surfaces B, C without the
use of the base members 12, 14 or covering member 16. For example, the
intumescent sheets 18 may be attached to one of the surfaces B or C
utilizing the covering member 16 and anchors 40 as discussed above and
attached to the other surface B or C utilizing only the center strip 58,
thereby allowing the covering member 16 to span the gap A independent of
the intumescent sheets 18, as shown in FIG. 15. The center strip 58 is
preferably formed of metal, such as galvanized steel, or other resilient
materials to enable the intumescent sheets 18 to be securely coupled to
the surfaces B, C even when exposed to significant heat.

[0061]In operation, the base members 12, 14, covering member 16, and/or
one or more intumescent sheets 18 may be coupled with the surfaces B, C
as discussed above to cover the gap A and provide a fire barrier. In
various embodiments, the system 10 may be installed in combination with
other surface covering elements to present any desired appearance. For
example, as shown in FIG. 5, the base members 12, 14 may be coupled with
the surfaces B, C utilizing the anchors 40. The one or more intumescent
sheets 18 may be coupled with the surfaces B, C by being sandwiched
between the base members 12, 14 and the surfaces B, C or by being
directly attached to the surfaces B, C utilizing the various fastening
elements discussed above.

[0062]After installation of the base members 12, 14 and intumescent sheets
18, grout may be laid over the surfaces B, C and at least portions of the
base members 12, 14, such as the anchoring flanges 20, 22. Carpet, tile,
hardwood, shingles, or other surface covering elements may then be
installed over the surfaces B, C and base members 12, 14. Before or after
installation of the grout and surface covering elements, the covering
member 16 may be coupled with the base members 12, 14 as discussed above,
such as by coupling the centering bar 44 with the sockets 28, 30. The
covering member 16 may also be covered with surface covering elements to
aesthetically match its environment.

[0063]In some embodiments, the system 10 may be configured for
installation in and/or over one or two inch nominal joints. Utilizing the
base members 12, 14 and/or covering member 16 discussed above, the system
10 in some embodiments may provide for approximately seventy-five percent
joint contraction and one-hundred percent joint expansion. Thus, in some
embodiments the system 10 is operable to sufficiently cover joints having
any widths between one-half of an inch and four inches. However, the
system 10 may be employed to span gaps having any widths and configured
to withstand expansion and contraction of any degree such that the system
10 is not limited to the particular examples given above.

[0064]Although the invention has been described with reference to the
preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is
noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein
without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the
claims.